Two foreign nationals have been indicted following the seizure of more than 76 kilograms of hashish at Miami International Airport, according to an announcement from federal authorities.
Court documents state that on February 11, Joseph Mark Delacruz, 24, from the United Kingdom, and Sezer Ali Ilhan, 20, from Germany, each attempted to board separate flights from Miami to São Paulo, Brazil. Both were found with suitcases containing large amounts of vacuum-sealed hashish.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outbound inspections at the airport examined checked luggage associated with both individuals. Officers discovered about 38.32 kilograms of hashish in two suitcases checked under Delacruz’s name. On the same day, a CBP K-9 unit alerted officers to two additional suitcases checked under Ilhan’s name for a different flight to Brazil. A search revealed approximately 37.77 kilograms of hashish in those bags.
Both Delacruz and Ilhan were intercepted at their departure gates before boarding their flights.
The defendants are charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and attempting to export a controlled substance. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each count.
"U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, made the announcement."
HSI Miami is leading the investigation into these cases.
"The cases are being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Terrades from the Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section."
BICE was established by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones as part of efforts to enhance border security in South Florida by focusing on protecting points of entry and enforcing federal immigration law while targeting transnational smuggling networks operating through the region.
"BICE was created by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones to strengthen South Florida’s border security posture, protect points of entry, enforce federal immigration law, and dismantle transnational smuggling networks operating through the region. The Section brings together narcotics, immigration, fraud, and violent-crime expertise into a single coordinated unit focused on border-driven threats."
Authorities remind that an indictment is only an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
Additional information about these cases can be found on the website for the District Court for the Southern District of Florida or via PACER under case numbers 26-cr-20060 (Delacruz) and 26-cr-20059 (Ilhan).
